Our Mission
BookPeople is a Community Bound by Books. Our mission is to provide our community with an inclusive, respectful, safe and engaging environment dedicated to intellectual freedom and the open discussion of ideas. BookPeople is a place for all kinds of readers. By offering diversity in books, we seek to be a gateway to a world of knowledge and expand the thoughts and minds of our community.
BookPeople serves our community through partnerships with local schools and organizations, and is dedicated to supporting the next generation of readers in Austin. BookPeople also aims to curate books and events that represent the diversity of our readers and local authors. We strive to see the values we demonstrate come to fruition in the world, and be a creative space for inspiration and rejuvenation in the heart of Austin.
Our Values
BookPeople is dedicated to providing the community with an inclusive, respectful, safe and engaging environment for the open exchange and discussion of ideas as diverse as the world in which we live. BookPeople is committed to represent our existing Austin communities as they stand while making space to grow as they evolve around us. We value ensuring that our store and events, whether in store or offsite, are welcoming and accessible in ways that create trust and belonging, and promote sustainable business practices that respect our earth.
Our policy on equity, inclusion and diversity
BookPeople is dedicated to opening its doors to everyone to foster a sense of belonging, shared responsibility, collaboration, and innovation.
Equity.
We define equity at BookPeople in the following ways:
- A concerted effort to bring in more underrepresented authors for events
- Equal access to job opportunities with an emphasis on recruiting staff people from diverse and underrepresented communities
- Continuing to be a vehicle for community outreach partnerships
- Actively and intentionally promoting the sale of historically underrepresented authors
Inclusion.
We define inclusion at BookPeople as a commitment to:
- Help everyone feel welcome and respected in the store
- Visibly support social and community causes that are important to the Austin community
- Make sure that independent presses and publishers are amplified and well represented
- Increase the promotion of Austin authors
- Include and promote diverse and historically underrepresented authors
- Include and promote local and diverse gifts and cafe offerings
Diversity.
In everything we do - from hiring, to training, to curation and customer service - we exhibit our commitment to fighting racism, ableism, homophobia, sexism, transphobia and other oppression of all marginalized people.
We celebrate and welcome readers, customers and employees of any:
- Racial or ethnic heritages or nationalities
- Gender representation
- LGBTQIA+ representation
- Physical, mental or other disabilities
- Neurodivergence
- Veteran status
- Formerly incarcerated people
- Readers of all ages
- Bilingual abilities
- Parents or caretakers
- Political affiliation
- Religious or spiritual practice or traditions
BookPeople believes in respectful safety, first. Everyone in our bookstore is expected to behave within our stated values, and we reserve the right to ask those that behave outside of those values to leave the bookstore, and/or event space.